Tube cleaner



Oct. 11, 1932. R. c. MCCRACKEN 1,881,821

TUBE CLEANER Filed June 1, 1951 A TTO/ENEV Patented Oct. 11 1932 U STAES PATE ROBERT C. MCGRACKEIN', OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNQR FORTY PER CENT TD CHARLES M. CLARKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 'rtrBE CLEANER Application filed'J'une 1, 1931. Serial No. 541,319.

This invention relates generally to tube cleaners and more specifically to tube cleaners of the type which include cleaner'or scraping elements adapted to be moved outwardly by centrifugal force, generated by rapid rotation of the device, into scraping contact with the inner faces of the tubes, the predominant object of the invention being to provide an extremely simple device of this type which is so constructed and is capable of such use that the maximum eificiency of operation is realized in the use of the device without danger that damage will be done to the tubes being cleaned.

Prior to this invention various types of tube cleaners have been known which performed their function of cleaning tubes with a fair amount of success, but 1t has been my experience that each of such cleaners with which I am familiar failed to j attain complete success in the'use thereof because of structural lmperfectlons. F or instance some of these previously known tube cleaners failed to be efficient to-the maximum degree '25 because'they were incapable of completelcleaning the tubes in which they were use while others thereof produced the maximum cleaning efiiciency tubes being cleaned. In view of theforegoing I have devised the improved tube cleaner disclosed'herein which briefly stated comprises a head to which a plurality of members are pivotally connected, these members being provided outer ends of the pivoted members referred to are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force on rapid rotation of the tube cleaner and the cleaning or scraping elements are so located with respect to the length and weight of the pivoted members with which they are associated that said cleaning or scraping elements are caused to contact with the walls of the tubes being cleaned with suficient force to completely clean the tubes but without doing injury thereto. An important feature of the invention resides inthe factthat the cleaning or scraping elements of my improved device r are inclined with respect to the longitudinal, and transverse axes of'the tubecleaner wherebut did damage to the with cleaning or scraping elements. The

by shearing action is obtained. Also an important feature of the invention is found in the provision of cuttingedges at the forward end of the device whereby the device ment of the invention 'A designates the im proved tube cleaner generally. The tube cleanenA includes a head 1 which is. pro

vided at its rearmostv end with'a screwthreads ed opening 2 which receives ascrewthreaded end of a rod or shaft 3 extended between the plan view of the improved tube:

NT" OFFICE tube cleaner A and a suitable motor '(not 1 shown) or other motion initiating means; The head 1 1s provided with a pair of cavities l and awhich are separated from each other by an lntegralpartition 6, extended longitudinally of the head as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The cavities 4 and 5 are olosedat their rearmost ends by portions of the headl and at their inner longitudinaledges by the partition 6, whilesaid cavities are open at their outerlongitudinal edges and at theforward ends thereof.

Associated with the head 1 isa pair of members 7 and- 8 provided with portions 7 and 8 which are disposed'within the cavities 4: and 50f the head 1. The members 7 and 8 are pivotally connected to thehead 1 through the instru'mentality of pins 9 and '10 which are extended transverselythrough the CL-Vlties at and 5, said pins beingpassed-through apertures formed in the wall portions of the head 1 at opposite sides of said cavities and having their opposite end portions riveted over to secure said pins in place. The pins 9 and 10 referred to .are extended through openings 11 and 12 formed through the portions 7 and 8 of the members? and 8, said openings 11 and 12 being of substantially larger diameter than the pins so that a more 7 are of slightly I portions 7' and 8,

or less'loose connection is provided between the head 1 and the members 7 and 8.

. The portions of the members 7 and 8 located forwardly of the portions 7 and 8 thereof are formed integral therewith, and preferably saidforwardly located portions and are of more or less triangular shape. In other words the forwardly located portion ofeach' ofthe members 7 and tudinal face 13 which is substantially parallel 8 is provided with an inner longiwith the longitudinal axis of the member, while the outer longitudmal edge face of the member includes a rear portion 14 which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal,

axis of the member, an intermediate portion 15 which is inclined forwardly and inwardly! from'said portion 14, and a forward portion 16 whichis inclined inwardly from the forward end of the portion 15 to the forward end of the face 13 at an respect to said portion 15. of the forward portions of the members 7 and 8 permit same sponse to centrifugal force within limits without/danger of the forward ends of said forward portions striking the inner faces of the tubes being cleaned.

Formed on'the members 7 and 8 are cleaning or' scraping elements 17 and 18.

' cleaning or scraping elements are located at 1 portions of said members 7 mediately ad acent' to rear. ends thereof: As

the outer longitudinal faces of the forward shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing the cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18 are extended transversely of the outer longitudifeed the a device through V T cleaned as said device 1s being rotated, butnal faces of theforwardportions of the mem-. ibers-7 and 8', but said cleaning or scraping, elements are'notarranged at a right angle On first consideration itmay seem that the inclined arrangement of the cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18 would tend to the tube being positely disposed cleaning orscraping elements are inclined in the same direction when the device is viewed as inFigQ; In other.

words the leading end of'one of the cleaning or scraping elements asthe device is rotatedis the forwardly located end of said element while the leading end of the oppositely disposed cleaning or rearwardly located end of'the latter element. From the foregoing it is plain that the tend- .feed the device greater thickness than said rearward face thereof.

scrapingelements 17 and 18 extend outwardly beyond the outer abrupt angle with The precise shape i to swing outwardly in re- The and 8 and imthis is not so because of the fact that the op-,

scraping element is the ency for one cleaning or scraping element to longitudinally of the tube being cleaned is offset by the tendency of the other cleaning or scraping element to feed the device in the opposite direction whereby said device will not be moved longitudinally in either direction by said cleaningelements.

The cleaning element 17 is provided with a scraping edge 17 which islocated at the forward face of said-cleaning element, while the cleaning element 18 is provided with a scraping edge 18 which is located at the The cleaning or longitudinal faces of the pivoted members ,7 and 8, and preferably these cleaning elements are formed of hard material'suitable for the purpose which is welded or otherwise secured to the members 7 7 and 8, the latter members preferably being formed of o-ther'material. In this manner the necessity to form the members 7 and 8 of the expensive hard material necessary for performing the scraping operations is avoided. I I a a v 1 At the forwardends of themembers 7 and '8 l weld or otherwise secure cutting portions 19 in place thereon. By so'providing the members 7 and 8 with cuttingelements at the forward or nose portions thereof the device is caused to cut its way through a tube which is. entirely .orsubstantially clogged. i

ln'the use of my improved tube cleaner same is introduced into thetube to becleaned and the motor which is associated with the tube cleaner is'operated so as to subject the tube cleaner to rapid rotation. The result of such rotation will cause centrifugal force to move the outer portions of the pivoted members .7 :and 8 outwardly whereby the ,cleaning or scraping elementsassociated with said pivoted members will move into contact with the deposit which it is desired to remove from r the inner face of the tube. The cleaning device is then moved slowly through the tube,'.

the cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18 effectively removing all of the deposit from the wall of thetube. Due to the fact that the cleaning or scraping elements are ,in-

clined as describeda shearing action is obtained which greatly'fa'cilitates removal of the deposit. from the tube. Wall. Also, as already explained, thegcutting portions 19 at the noseportions of the pivoted members .7

through a deposit by which a-tube is entirel or substantially clogged.

and 8'; permits the cleaning device to out It is extremely nnportant to note that the cleaning or. scraping elements are located rearwardly a substantial distance with respect to'the forward ends of the members 7 and 8. This has the effect of placing consida erable weight'beyondzthe cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18'with the result that this weight will respond to centrifugal force when the device is rotated in a manner to cause the cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18 to be moved into contact with the incrusted face of the tube with sufficient force to effectively remove the deposit therefrom and Without doing injury to the tube. It is also important to note that the loose pivotal connections between the head 1 and the members 7 and 8 give the device the necessary flexibility to perform-its function.

Preferably the outer faces of the cleaning or scraping elements 17 and 18 are inclined inwardly from the scraping edges 17 and 18 thereof so as to provide clearance between said cleaning or scraping elements and the inner face of the tube being cleaned.

I claim:

1. A tube cleaner comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head, means for pivoting said members at an end of each thereof to said head whereby the opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, and scraping elements associated with said members, said scraping elements being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of the pivoted members so as to locate a greater portion of the weight of said pivoted members outwardly beyond the scraping elements.

2. A tube cleaner comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head, means for loosely pivoting said members at an end of each thereof to said head whereby the opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, and scraping elements associated with said members, said scraping elements being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of the pivoted members so as to locate a great-' or portion of the weight of said pivoted mem bers outwardly beyond the scraping elements.

3. A tube cleaner comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head, means for pivoting said members at an end of each thereof to said head wherebythe opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, and scraping elements associated with said members, said scraping elements being inclined with respect to the longitudinal and V transverse axes of said pivoted members and being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of the pivoted members so as to locate a greater portion of the weight of said pivoted members outwardly beyond the scraping elements.

4. A tube cleaner comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head,

means for pivoting said members at an end of each thereof to said head whereby the opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, scraping elements associated with said pivoted membersand located at the outer longitudinal faces thereof, and scraping elements at the forward free ends of said pivoted members, the first mentioned scraping elements being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of said pivoted members so as to locate a greaterportionof the weight of said pivoted members outwardly beyond said scraping elements.

5. A tube cleaner comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head, means for loosely pivoting said members at an end of each thereof to said'head whereby the opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, scraping elements associated with said pivoted members and located at the outer longitudinal faces thereof, and scraping elements at the forward free ends of said pivoted members, the first mentioned scraping elements being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of said pivoted members so as to locate a greater portion of the weight of said pivoted members outwardly beyond said scraping ele-. ments. I

6. A tube clean-er comprising a head, a plurality of members associated with said head, means for pivoting said members at an end of, each thereof to said head whereby the opposite end portions of said members are free to move outwardly in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the tube cleaner, scraping elements associated with said pivoted members and located at the outer longitudinal facesthereof, and scraping eleed members, the first mentioned scraping elements being inclined with respect to the longitudinal and transverse axes of said pivoted members and being located inwardly a substantial distance from the outer free ends of ments at the forward free ends of said pivot v 7 said pivoted members so as to locate a greater portion of the weight of said pivoted mem- 1 bers outwardly beyond said scraping elements. I e g In testimony that I claim the foregoing'I hereunto affix my signature. I

ROBERT C. MOCRACKEN. 

